How accurate is Birdsong's bird identifier?

It runs Google's Perch, a research-grade acoustic model covering nearly 15,000 species. When a call is ambiguous, we say so honestly and let you record a second clip to confirm, rather than guessing.

Is my recording stored?

No. Your audio is used to identify the bird in the moment and isn't saved to our servers. The birds you confirm are kept as cards in your own field journal; the recordings themselves are not.

Is the bird identifier free?

Yes — identify birds every day for free, no account required. Birdsong Pro ($3.99/mo or $39.99/yr) unlocks unlimited IDs, full field guides, your growing collection, and shareable Field Report cards.

Do I need an account or internet to identify a bird?

You'll need a connection to identify, since the AI runs in the cloud. No account is needed to try it — sign in with Google or email to save your field journal and sync it across devices.

Birdsong field guide

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

A robust, chunky sparrow with a large head and shorter tail, known for its extreme proximity to human development.

What it sounds like

A repetitive series of monotonous, metallic 'cheep' or 'chirrup' notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:25

Rec. Thierry THOMAS · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males display a distinctive black 'bib' that indicates social status and dominance within the flock.
Despite the name, they are Old World 'true sparrows' and are not closely related to American sparrows.
They are highly social birds that perform communal 'dust bathing' to maintain plumage health.
The species was intentionally introduced to Brooklyn, New York, in 1851 to control linden moth populations.
They are opportunistic generalists that have evolved to digest grains and human food scraps more efficiently than most wild birds.

Habitat

Urban centers, suburban neighborhoods, and agricultural farmsteads; rarely found in uninhabited wild areas.

Range

Native to Eurasia and North Africa; globally introduced across North and South America, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Abd al Kuri SparrowPasser hemileucus Arabian Golden SparrowPasser euchlorus Cape SparrowPasser melanurus Cape Verde SparrowPasser iagoensis Chestnut SparrowPasser eminibey Dead Sea SparrowPasser moabiticus Desert SparrowPasser simplex Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus

Heard a House Sparrow?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

Identify a bird by its song